


From Tokyo and Osaka, With Love

by awkwardedgeworth



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hospital Visit, Insecurity, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, and a bit of birthday angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-29
Updated: 2020-07-29
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25590358
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/awkwardedgeworth/pseuds/awkwardedgeworth
Summary: He frowns at Bokuto, mouthing, "Did youbreak into the library building?""Hey!" Someone shines a flashlight in their direction, pacing furiously, "You can't be here after hours if you don't have an ID!"Bokuto laughs nervously.akaashi and his birthdays from 17-21, or five years' worth of birthdays spent with bokuto
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 14
Kudos: 292





	From Tokyo and Osaka, With Love

**Author's Note:**

> apparently bokuaka week 2020 is a thing? lmao i didn't see any announcements on it but i dug this fic up from my drafts and polished it because my schedule during bokuaka week leaves me no room to write. 
> 
> please also excuse my ooc meian, he's just excited to finally meet _The_ akaashi keiji, aka bokuto's world (that and the fact that akaashi is one of the more saner people he probably knows -side eyes atsumu and bokuto-)
> 
> there's an entire scene where akaashi needs to get surgery and recovers in his hospital bed. if that's not your thing, skip over the entire "shinjuku-ku" section

> I) Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan

His walk home now is lonely. Bokuto is in Osaka, three and a half hours away. 

Volleyball without the third years is different. Onaga is a good vice-captain, his spikers and teammates are reliable, the new managers are kind as well, always doing their best for the team. He's lucky to have a bunch of eager first years who fit into the team well.

But they're not Shirofuku, Suzumeda, Konoha, Komi, Washio, Sarukui or Bokuto.

The club is a little less exciting than before. He finds himself waiting for his ace to agree to his suggestions before Onaga coughs pointedly and Akaashi realizes he's zoned out. He has to hold himself back in practice from calling Bokuto's name out automatically like he has for the past two years.

Akaashi blows his breath over his hands, a cloud erupting in his eyes. He's just thinking of having his dinner in his room when he stops, hand on his gate. 

" _Bokuto-san?_ "

"AKAASHI!" Bokuto leaps up from the front steps, eyes bright. Akaashi is swept into a massive hug that leaves him hanging off the ground. Light filters out of the curtains of his house, staining the pathway with warm tones and the shadows of his parents walking around the living room.

Akaashi forgets to breathe, opening his mouth to inhale, feeling the cold on the back of his mouth, across his chapped lips, stinging his ears.

"Surprised? Surprised?" Bokuto seems to vibrate, setting him down as Akaashi creaks out a huff, massaging his arms. "I said I couldn't make it because the first game of the season is starting soon but we got out early and I caught the shinkansen!"

"Ah that would explain the smell."

Bokuto wilts like a plant, turning red, "Do I smell?"

"Like sweat. It's your normal smell," Akaashi crinkles his nose. He laughs, watching Bokuto sniff his arms like a bloodhound. "Bokuto-san, you've always smelt nice to me."

"Yeah, because I get paranoid and dump twice the amount of detergent into the machine!" 

"What are you doing here?" He asks, swiveling his head down to check his phone. It's past seven. In second year timeline, this is early as he usually stays late at school for Bokuto's extra extra practice, but he has his career forms to fill in and hand in by tomorrow.

"It's your birthday," Bokuto shoves his hand in his pockets, mouth curled up in a smile. 

He'd mention it so casually, like he could afford to spend 30,000 yen on round trip tickets between Shin-Osaka and Tokyo Station, like he isn't going out of his way to make sure his apartment is clean before venturing back home, like his parents don't miss their only son and allows him to visit his boyfriend instead of them.

It's not to say that he never wanted to visit Bokuto— he'd visited him during Tanabata in fact, but that was different. The pressure of university exams had been far off then, and he's not trying to squeeze his way onto the starting line up for Bokuto's team.

Eight months can do a lot to a person. Eight months ago, he was ready to say goodbye to Bokuto, waiting for their relationship to fade (because that's what relationships are sometimes, a pull and push like the ocean waves according to his older sister).

Every time he meets Bokuto, Bokuto still continues to reach for his hand, pulling him closer to his side.

Bokuto takes him by the hand and leads him to the front door where a cardboard box is sitting on the steps, "You're spacing out. Are you close to passing out with hunger? Because I am. I have your present right here, see, see?"

He pushes his worries aside.

Akaashi bends down to pick the box up, wondering what it could be and if he'd troubled Bokuto into lugging it on a packed train, "Th—"

"No!" Bokuto snatches his hands away.

He stares at Bokuto.

Bokuto scrambles for words, "Um. Uh, it's very fragile!"

A soft meow pipes up. The two swivel their heads down.

Bokuto sighs, opening the flaps of the box. Akaashi meets eye to eye with a very fluffy dark cat, amber eyes shining. There's a black collar around the throat. Bokuto easily lifts the cat out of the box by the front, the cat hanging, docile.

He's a curious shade of purple, stammering and avoiding Akaashi's eyes.

"My sister's friend's cat gave birth and this is the last cat that never got adopted. It's a Norwegian cat, they have long hair and she's really fluffy right now so I also bought you a lint roller—actually I bought you ten packs of lint rollers because your stuff is probably now going to be full of cat hair," Bokuto swallows, sticking his head out like he's trying to swallow a too big piece of chicken.

Akaashi offers his hand for the cat to sniff. It licks him. 

"—And I bought some canned food too. Andkibble. Andtreats! She's a year old at this point and she's really sweet when she slept in my apartment for the last few weeks andreallylikestoeatandsleepwhichremindedmeofyou—"

He reaches forward to hold onto Bokuto's cold hands. Bokuto stops rambling, finally lifting his eyes from the cat's head.

"Thank you Bokuto-san," Akaashi softly says. He sees his Adam's apple bob up and down. "What's her name?"

"I don't know."

"' _I don't know?_ ' That's an interesting name. Who chose it?"

"I mean she's nameless. The family called her the Grey Lady but I think it was a nickname."

Akaashi scratches her head. He could see a bunched grey hoodie in the box, probably what Bokuto should be wearing on top of his thin looking sweater, "She looks like an Espurr."

Bokuto gives him a serious look, "Akaashi," He gravely says, "Did you start playing the new Pokemon game without me?"

"Maybe."

" _Aka-ashi!_ "

The front door opens. Akaashi's mother beams at the two of them and the cat, "Koutarou-kun, are you done? I made lots of food. And Keiji, stop dawdling outside, you're making him more cold than he should be!" She clucks, shutting the door.

He stares at his front door, commentating, "She doesn't seem surprised by the cat."

"I asked for her permission first of course."

"That's...very thoughtful of you," He's touched, swinging his practice bag out of the way so he can cradle the cat in his arms. She's very docile for a young cat, a warm weight as she sniffs his uniform, "You're sleeping over too?"

"Of course, I called ahead and everything! Auntie loves me, I'm very responsible now."

Akaashi snorts, watching Bokuto pick his backpack up from his front steps and the cardboard box. He feels a gentle nostalgia in his chest, "No, she just loves feeding more people."

"How come you're meaner than when I left?" They both enter the genkan, kicking off their shoes as Akaashi announces he's home and that Bokuto is here. His parents answer in tandem from the living room. They head up the stairs, stopping by his room to drop everything off, "Where's my precious kouhai that cried when I graduated?"

Akaashi reddens. He remembers the cherry blossoms, Shirofuku and Suzumeda giving him tissues, the entire team laughing tearily as Bokuto handed him his #4 jersey. He opens his bedroom door, glad that he cleaned up in the morning before he left for practice as he weakly mumbles, "Shut up."

Akaashi places his bag and cat on the floor, watching her stick her tail up in the air. Her coat is grey, ending in black. There's a tabby pattern to it.

Bokuto sniffs, "You were so cute then, you made my heart flutter."

He quickly tackles Bokuto onto his clean bed, ignoring the fact he just changed his sheets yesterday. Bokuto goes down with a surprised yelp as Akaashi quickly pins his limbs down.

"You promised not to bring that up, Bokuto-san," He mutters, hovering above Bokuto. He leans forward to make sure the light isn't in Bokuto's eyes, seeing the outline of his shadows past Bokuto's head.

Bokuto is red, "Um. What?" He's blinking.

"You promised."

"Promise what?"

Akaashi narrows his eyes, leaning down more. His tie pools around Bokuto's throat, "You don't remember?"

"I'm very turned on right now, okay?"

He rolls his eyes, feeling his neck heat in response, "Never mind."

Bokuto's breath fans across his face. He blinks up at him, stroking his longer hair.

Akaashi's eyes goes from his arched eyebrows, to his dry lips, to the pores on his nose, to his bright eyes. He swallows.

"You're thinking too loudly," Bokuto leans up and tilts his head down so he can press a kiss to his hairline, "I can hear it sometimes from Osaka you know. I get this tingly feeling and I go, 'Ah there he goes again!'"

Akaashi hums.

"A coin for your thoughts?"

_How do you bring the team together?_ Akaashi wants to ask, _How do I become a better Captain, how can I encourage the team more, how can I prepare Onaga to take over?_

Instead, what slips out is, "I keep thinking of when it'll end."

He never specified what exactly will end, but Bokuto's face morphs from neutral to shock.

Bokuto sits up, holding onto his waist so Akaashi doesn't roll off his bed and onto the floors, "Keiji! Why would you think that?"

His hands grips Bokuto's thin sweater. His mother was right, he did kept Bokuto outside for too long. His cheeks are still cool to the touch, "Because that's what long distance relationships end up like most of the time. Partners get pulled by other things, you have your new team, our paths are diverging, you have— you have new people I don't know about and you're starting your career—"

He stops suddenly, looking down at his waist. His belt is cutting into his stomach. He doesn't know why he changed back into his school uniform when he should have went home in his jersey.

Bokuto rolls them over. Akaashi is pressed into his mattress, Bokuto wiggling until his head is against his chest where he can hear Akaashi's traitorous heart stutter in rhythm.

He's a warm, solid weight.

Bokuto had always been solid. It's unlike Akaashi, who wavers with decisions and second guesses himself. Even now, he's wondering if he made the right decision saying that.

He wonders if Bokuto had ever second guessed a decision he made, on court or off court.

"Hey, Akaashi."

"Yes?"

"Tell me something," Bokuto's head flips up from where he'd been pressing it into his school uniform. For someone who's boyfriend just announced his ill feelings towards their relationship, he looks calm, "What's your five year plan? That paper should be due soon right?"

"It's due tomorrow. That's why I'm home early," Akaashi takes a deep breath, staring at his ceiling, "Get into university, graduate and enter a publishing company. See you as often as I can. Hope to find a job in Osaka so I can live with you."

"That sounds like a good plan to me. How come you think our relationship will end with this plan?"

"Because plans are unpredictable," Akaashi feels a ball appear in his throat. He fists his hands into the blanket beneath them, "Because lives doesn't stick to plans, things happen that we can't control."

"Then it means that even if I was playing for the F.C. Tokyo we would still have an equal chance of growing apart, right?"

"...Right."

"Right," Bokuto wiggles up, slotting their bodies as close as possible, "Not seeing you every day is hard, but," Bokuto kisses him gently, "It's not impossible, right?"

"It's just hard," He echoes, finishing the sentence and feeling his eyes prickle.

Akaashi turns his head away. Bokuto seems to understand, hiding his face in the nook between Akaashi's neck and the pillow. Akaashi watches as the cat sniff his study chair, leaping onto it gracefully.

Bokuto mumbles into his neck, "It's tough, isn't it?"

Akaashi nods. Bokuto throws a leg and arm over him, hugging him, "It's tough for me too. That's why I thought the cat could keep you company when I can't. Talk to me more okay? I don't mind getting calls at midnight."

"You sleep at eight like an old man," Akaashi watches as the cat jump onto his pillows, sniffing his face. Her whiskers brushes against his cheeks, "I doubt you can wake up."

"Ah, you were always so good at diverting conversations."

"I'll talk to you more," He promises.

"Good," Bokuto loosens his hold on him. A loud grumble emits from his stomach.

"AH!" Akaashi sits up, remembering that dinner is waiting downstairs and his mother will probably give him a sour look for keeping Bokuto away from food even after he traveled to Tokyo, "Bokuto-san, let's go eat. I'm sorry for keeping us—"

"Noooo," Bokuto rasps, putting a hand on his forehead and fluttering his eyes closed, "I'm too weak. Can't move. Need sustenance."

He then opens one eye, "But I _may_ be tempted with a kiss."

Akaashi laughs, bending down.

> II) Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

He spent his birthday in lectures, tutorials and the library. A big assignment worth half his grades is due soon, so he hunkered down, polished off an entire shelf of onigiri and started typing his literature assignment the moment his last lecture ended.

Occasionally, his phone would light up from the old Fukurodani alums, all who wish him a happy birthday. Akaashi had a quick dinner on campus earlier with Konoha who's in the health sciences department. Asides from text messages, dinner that he inhaled and a call from his parents, his birthday this year is relatively mundane.

"Excuse me," A voice says, out of breath, "Is this seat taken?"

He looks up and lets a bit of tuna mayo slip out of his mouth.

"Bokuto-san?" He gawks, looking left and right. The library is deserted, the aisles empty and quiet. It's past eleven. Bokuto grins, immediately zipping down his bomber jacket, fanning himself with a brochure of the campus map. He has a backpack still slung over his shoulders, " _How?_ Why?—"

"I wanted to see you on your birthday," Bokuto grins, pulling the black cap off and letting his hair flop out. Akaashi watches him run a hand through it, trying to fix it into semblance though the gel has been ruined, "Sorry I'm late though. I'm starting the game so they kept me behind."

"You shouldn't have, I thought we agreed on this!"

"Shh," Bokuto mumbles nervously, "It's fine, I'll just take the first shinkansen back tomorrow morning, I have my jersey and everything in here as a back up plan if I can't go to my apartment first. Mind if I sleep at your place today?"

Akaashi closes his laptop, sighing. He'll just hand in what he has. It's a good thing he only needs to write his conclusion tomorrow morning and has a habit of editing as he goes, "Sure."

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay. I'll wake up early with you and finish this," Akaashi pats his laptop, placing it inside his padded sleeve.

Bokuto sends him an apologetic smile. "Should we buy your mom something for my trouble?"

Akaashi shakes his head, standing up and hugging him, "No, I'm sure she won't mind."

"Of course," His voice is muffled, "Your mom likes me."

He and Bokuto sway for a moment. Akaashi sniffs Bokuto's jacket. Osaka smells a lot differently than Tokyo. He hasn't seen Bokuto in person since the long weekend in September.

Bokuto's hand tilts his head up and Akaashi meets his lips partway, immediately opening his mouth. His heart loosens, getting lost in the kiss.

He stills when he hears the security guards hissing about an intruder, stalking through the stacks.

He pulls back. He frowns at Bokuto, mouthing, "Did you _break into the library building?_ "

"Hey!" Someone shines a flashlight in their direction, pacing furiously, "You can't be here after hours if you don't have an ID!"

Bokuto laughs nervously.

They sprint using the back exit.

Akaashi dodges library cubicles, pulling Bokuto's hand as he takes a sharp turn, heading for the emergency staircases.

Once inside, Bokuto shoots forward, leaping down the stairs in a single, giant leap and landing firmly. Akaashi wants to yell at him to be careful _because out of the two of them, Akaashi isn't the one playing in the starting line up tomorrow, is he?_ but he hears the door slam open behind him and he takes the stairs two at a time, the guards yelling at them to stop. 

Bokuto kicks open the emergency door, exploding out of the building and waiting for him to catch up. 

"School gate!" Akaashi huffs, backpack bouncing against his side.

Bokuto grins, taking his hand and dragging him along. Akaashi is reminded of how badly he's out of shape half a year after he quit volleyball. Bokuto jumps over the gates effortlessly as Akaashi tosses him his backpack and scales up the footholds, landing heavily on the other side with his ankles twinging, running.

Their feet slap the pavement. Bokuto's not wearing his runners but a pair of canvas shoes with no support. Akaashi's lungs are burning but he opens his mouth.

"What possessed you to think that breaking into the library was a good idea? _How_ did you even break in? You don't have a pilfered student ID with you to swipe on the scanner after hours, do you?" 

"Look okay, I really needed to pee and see you— not necessarily in that order— and Konoha was suppose to let me in but he forgot and went to bed, like the _ass_ he is—"

Akaashi looks back to see campus security slowly give up in their chase, laughing as the December air kisses his skin, slowing to a walk as they take a corner to the nearest train station. His lungs burn— he really is out of shape, "You're absolutely crazy, Bokuto-san—"

A loud grumble emits from Bokuto. They slow to a stop as Akaashi shifts his backpack to the front, pulling out half a dozen onigiris.

"You're my savior," Bokuto stares at him in awe. His cheeks are flushed.

"I bought them for myself but I appreciate the sentiment," Akaashi laughs as Bokuto swoops down for a light peck on his mouth, pulling away with a grin, face illuminated by a patch of light from the street lamps.

Long distance is hard, but if he could preserve this feeling— this feeling of falling for Bokuto every time he sees him after ever few months all over again, like a shooting star falling into his hands—

Akaashi tugs him down by his head and kisses him again, pulling away with a laugh as they continue their way to the station, shoulders rubbing against each other.

"You think that ramen place nearby is still open?" Bokuto polishes the first onigiri in three bites, scrunching the plastic in his pocket as he opens the second one.

"I believe so," Akaashi checks his watch, waving his shirt to air himself out, "Late night ramen?"

"Yes! I'll pay since it's your birthday," Bokuto sings, "I love carbs, just don't tell the team's dietitian!"

> III) Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan

His nineteenth birthday was spent in the hospital.

He was suppose to meet Bokuto at Tokyo Station where they would make their way to dinner, watch a late night movie and then retire in Akaashi's bedroom. They'd have two entire days for themselves until Bokuto has to go back to Osaka.

Only if it weren't for Akaashi waking up after his nap at five, unable to move from the pain as he weakly calls for his mother from his room.

Akaashi is connected to an IV drip, blinking the grogginess out of his eyes. He's so heavy, wondering if Bokuto is lying on top of him. He's not in pain anymore, which is excellent, but his brain is foggy. He felt like he had woken up from his wisdom teeth removal.

A doctor peers in relief at him, immediately checking his pupils and all the lines and tubes around him with a professional, cool hand.

"Your boyfriend is waiting outside," She says, writing on his chart. Akaashi is still half asleep but he must have made a sound. "Very worried, he is. I had to reassure him that appendectomies by laparo have better outcomes than traditional methods and that I've done many of them in my life."

He's not sure what a laparo is, but he nods, "Sorry about that, sensei."

"Not at all," She laughs, "I should be the one apologizing instead for giving you surgery on your birthday too."

He shakes his head, slurring, "It's okay."

She sets down his chart at the end of his bed, adjusting his blankets, "I'll send him in. Your mother says she'll be with you after she brings some clothes. Please don't hesitate in ringing the bell on this remote—" She taps something near his left hand, her nails clicking, "—For assistance if you need help."

Akaashi nods. He wanted to stay awake for Bokuto, to reassure him that he's fine, but he must have passed out shortly because the next time he wakes up, Bokuto is sound asleep on his bed, cheek smooshed against a pillow and a blanket over his shoulders, most likely draped by a helpful nurse. He's holding Akaashi's right hand loosely.

The painkillers have definitely worn off. His torso is sore.

"Stayed up all night," He turns to see his mother sit next to his bed, flipping the newspapers, the sun is already halfway up into the sky. There's a bento at his bedside, "Do you want some food? I made your favorites."

"Where's Otou-san?" He accepts the face wipes his mother hands him, vigorously rubbing his face with one hand. He feels gross all over but overall more awake now that the anesthesia has worn off.

"He had an emergency surgery, he was here all night too until they pulled him away," His mother hands him the bento, snapping off the locks that hold it together. Akaashi's mouth starts drooling when he smells curry.

He tries to wiggle his hand away from Bokuto's grip, wincing when Bokuto immediately sits up blearily, half his hair sticking up where the pillow had pressed against it.

"Keiji!"

"Hello, Bokuto-san," Akaashi says, trying not to shoot his mother a look when she giggles and quietly tip toes out of his small private room with an excuse to buy some warm drinks from the vending machine. 

Bokuto starts sniffling, oblivious to the way his hair resembles a nest, "I was so worried!"

"Sorry to worry you."

"I cried all night!"

"I'm sorry you cried all night," Akaashi says, seeing that the tissue box is within arm reach. He plucks several and presses them into Bokuto's hand, adjusting the recline of the bed with a remote so he's sitting up.

Bokuto sniffles, eyes bloodshot and puffy. He doesn't look the best, the stubble around his chin poking out and his clothes looking rumpled. Akaashi feels a pang of worry, stroking his hand on top of Bokuto's, "Thanks for coming here anyway."

"Of course! Do you want me to fluff your pillows?" Two years living in Osaka already gave Bokuto a very faint Osaka accent that fades when he goes back to Tokyo.

Bokuto spoons him a mouthful of curry and rice. Akaashi chews bits of potato and carrot, watching Bokuto's face pinch.

"Bokuto-san," He says gently, "I'm fine. Look, I'm eating and I'll be walking around again soon. Appendicitis is common."

Bokuto lowers his arm, bangs brushing the top of his eyebrows, "Don't brush it off like it's nothing, Keiji. I was really worried."

"Sorry," He apologizes again. He looks around the room for another topic as Bokuto starts blinking rapidly, "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning if I want to cut it to the last second," Bokuto mixes some rice with the curry, piling on a heaping spoonful and raising it to Akaashi's mouth, "Which I'm tempted to do."

"You can go earlier, my mom is here," Akaashi fiddles with his fingers, "I wouldn't want Foster-san to be mad at you."

"I don't care if he gets mad at me, you're more important."

Akaashi stares helplessly into his eyes, swallowing.

"Hurts?"

He shakes his head, tilting his chin up. He can feel Bokuto smiling when they kiss, his lips stretched out. Akaashi wishes his mother handed him mints instead of face wipes now that he thinks about it. 

Bokuto rakes his fingernails through his hair and though it does feel nice, Akaashi jerks back.

"Geh."

"Hm?"

"My hair is oily."

Bokuto guffaws, "Then you should feel mine, there's oil _and_ gel in there!"

Akaashi grins, patting his rough chin, "I suppose there is."

His mother doesn't come back until they finished watching a movie from Bokuto's phone and talk strategy about MSBY's first game of the season tomorrow afternoon.

"Ah," She's holding another homemade bento in her hands, closing the door slowly. Bokuto is snoozing again on his pillow, "I brought food for him."

"It's because you took three hours, Kaa-san," He gives her a deadpan look.

She laughs, "What am I suppose to do, Keiji? He was very worried. Such a sweet boyfriend," She sighs, pulling out books out of a canvas bag for him, "I went home to feed Milo-chan. Chiyoru-sensei says that she'll check up on you in an hour and then we can go home if everything is fine. She'll schedule you back next week in the outpatient clinic to make sure the stitches heal properly."

Akaashi accepts the books, "Thank you. And Otou-san?"

"They pulled him into an emergency surgery right when he finished the other one."

"Of course."

"Of course," His mother sighs, "Don't marry a doctor, Keiji, you'll be married on paper but in actuality you're second to their jobs."

Akaashi laughs quietly as his mother resumes to her seat next to him on the opposite side of the bed, opening the newspaper where she left off.

> IV) Dotonbori, Osaka, Japan

"I'm not of age but thank you."

Bokuto had gone to see him for his birthday for the last three years. Akaashi told him he would be making the trek this year instead, needing to get out of the city because his studies are getting tiring and a nice change of scenery would be nice.

Bokuto thought introducing Akaashi to the team and dragging him along to their post-win yakiniku restaurant was a good idea, _only if he's comfortable with being around them and interacting after the long train ride! No pressure! Definitely no pressure!_

Inunaki grins, drawing back the glass of beer and chugging half of it as he resumes his talk with the MSBY captain. 

Meian loved him on the spot, not even three minutes into their meeting, greeting him with a very hearty slap between his shoulders and a crushing handshake. He reminds Akaashi of Karasuno's Sawamura.

The other members of the Black Jackals were more toned down. They smiled and tried to include him in as many conversations as possible. It felt great to talk about volleyball again, even chatting with players from the high school circuit.

Sakusa was mostly amused when Miya Osamu (who is _not_ part of the team but is there as another unofficial member) flirted non-stop with him the entire night, riling Bokuto up further and further with a wicked grin as his twin brother blanched.

"Now I can see why Bokuto's into ya, yer quite the looker."

Akaashi nervously laughed.

"No?" Osamu leaned further into Akaashi, blocking Bokuto's well aimed punches, "Tokyo boy righ'? Perhaps I'll just move there an' open up a shop. Will ya visit me if I do that?"

" _Myaaaaaaa-sam!_ Stop it! Keiji is _MY_ boyfriend!"

"If yer into the grey hair an' all," He continued in a lazy drawl, "I could dye my hair again. Just for ya."

Then he smirked. Bokuto had thrown a cherry tomato at his forehead and ordered Atsumu to stop his twin.

Miya Atsumu is the complete opposite of his twin as it turns out.

Bokuto is already tipsy, pulling Akaashi closer and closer into his lap as Akaashi tries to fight off the blush as the team studies them curiously.

"You're _reeeeeeeeally_ his boyfriend?" Miya Atsumu asks. Akaashi keeps looking between Atsumu and Osamu who are sitting next to each other, both wearing black long sleeves and identical Onigiri Miya baseball caps that hide most of their hair. He thinks they're doing it on purpose. Bokuto has called Osamu "Tsum-tsum" a couple of times already.

"Yes?" Akaashi frowns. Perhaps he needs to get his eyes checked soon. Everything seems smaller these days and he's squinting a lot. Atsumu should get his ears checked too, since this is the third time he asked the same question.

"He's not paying you to say that?"

"No?"

"You sure you guys aren't fake dating?"

"No," Akaashi firmly growls.

"Hm, I didn't know anyone could like the simpleton."

"Stop tryna' antagonize people on purpose, 'Tsumu," Osamu mumbles, Akaashi can at least see that he's the better twin. They'd been chatting about finances earlier after he promised Bokuto to stop wooing his boyfriend away.

"What?" Atsumu asked, lips curling up, "We all thought he was jokin' about Akaashi."

"I _said_ ta stop antagonizing people, 'Tsumu," Osamu says loudly. He turns to him, "Ignore his crap, he's a lil' piece of shit sometimes."

"Oi," Atsumu cuffs Osamu's head. Akaashi stops sipping his tea, watching a dark cloud pass over Osamu's face, "What didya call me?"

"Did ya just hit me?" Osamu scoffs, cuffing Atsumu's head back.

" _You_ hit me!"

"Because _you_ hit me first!" Akaashi tears his eyes away from the twins as they roll around the tatami mats, wrestling and grappling. 

Meian crawls over to the twins and separates them with a push, Atsumu and Osamu tumbling onto their backs like turtles. Akaashi turns his attention back to Bokuto drawing shapes onto the back of his hand as the captain starts lecturing Atsumu.

"Bokuto-san, are you feeling okay?"

"My head feels really heavy," Bokuto mumbles, dropping his head onto Akaashi's shoulders.

Akaashi looks around the table and realizes everyone's attention is on him again. He tries to push Bokuto up so he can support himself, but it was really like pushing a wall with Bokuto being so heavy, " _Bokuto-san!_ "

"S'been four years!" Atsumu heckles from the corner, "You still call him with an honorific?"

"I'm not a heathen like you," Akaashi grumbles under his breath, yelping as Bokuto nearly topples backwards and takes him down with him.

The MSBY libero roars with laughter, helping Akaashi straighten Bokuto as he sways like a sapling in a storm, "Okay Bokuto, you're cut off. I don't think your boyfriend can carry you home if you keep drinking."

"Boyfriend?" Bokuto blinks at the lights above them. He grins, "I like Keiji!"

The team roars with laughter.

"Thank you, Bokuto-san," Akaashi replies, mostly dying of embarrassment but also pleased.

"Do you need help getting him home, Akaashi?" Meian asks from the corner where he's lecturing Atsumu, Osamu has curled up like a cooked shrimp, face squished against the mat, face illuminated by the blue light of his phone, lying next to his twin.

"If you could help me get him in a cab, I can take care of things from my end," He bows his head respectfully as Meian shoos Atsumu away to call a taxi and bring some take out containers. 

He then tries his hardest to refuse any extra food the team is pushing onto him at the same time he's wrangling Bokuto into his coat.

"You said these noodles were delicious!"

Akaashi fumbles, "I mean, yes, they are—"

Meian waves a large hand, "Bokuto eats a lot, you're here for the next two days, right? Take some, take some, we don't mind."

"No, it's fine thank you—"

"All Bokuto would talk about is your vigorous appetite—" Meian pushes into his hands a nearly full container of fried noodles, meatballs, a karaage set and some grilled vegetables, "—among other things. Ossam! You're opening your own onigiri place, right? Have Akaashi go there when it's open!"

Osamu bows his head, voice professionally flat, "I will forward you the details of the shop when we are ready to open, please support us and our farmer captain."

"Kita-san is a farmer?—" Akaashi moans in horror as Barnes and Inunaki unzips his backpack and places a plastic container with crude cut holes made at the top inside, shuffling his water bottle away to make room, "Inunaki-san? When did you get this?"

"Best takoyaki in town, ignore whatever place Bokkun takes you tomorrow, just text me if you guys can't decide on where to eat," Inunaki laughs as Atsumu sticks his head back in.

"Taxi's here!"

Akaashi gets pushed out with Inunaki, Meian dragging a very swaying Bokuto along. 

Nearly all of MSBY sees them off, getting drenched in the rain as Akaashi tries to get them back into the overhang of the restaurant.

"Ya, Bokuto," Meian reaches through the rolled down windows, patting Bokuto's cheeks very briefly, "Don't make any trouble for your boyfriend okay? Or I'll make you do fifty laps of flying seals on our next practice."

Bokuto snores in reply. Meian gives Akaashi a delighted smile, waving goodbye as he wishes them a safe trip back and that Akaashi is welcome anytime to join them for food.

"Anytime," Meian emphasis, shaking Akaashi's hand as he laughs nervously. " _Anytimeeeee_."

The taxi drives off, Akaashi steadily ignoring eye contact with the driver as he fishes out Bokuto's apartment keys and places it in his pocket for easy access.

Bokuto lives in a little run down apartment in the Miyakojima ward with a view of the Yodo river. It's closer to Osaka than it is to Hirakata, but Bokuto wanted to live in the city while he could. Akaashi loves the alleyways with yakitori grills out front and the overgrown hydrangea bushes by the apartment building. During the night if they stand at a certain spot, they can see Umeda Sky Building faintly from the balcony.

"My head is spinning," Bokuto mouths into his neck.

Akaashi starts calculating how much the fare would be, rubbing Bokuto's hand and hoping he doesn't vomit in the car, "Yes, because you drank 6 glasses of beer in two hours with no water in between and on an empty stomach."

"I need carbs. Beer is a carb."

"Who told you that?"

"Kuroo," Akaashi stares at the ceiling, _of course_.

"Did you enjoy the game today?"

Akaashi nods, closing his eyes briefly. Meian had given him a #12 jersey after the game and slid a scarf around his throat, patting him vigorously around the back like Komi used to when Akaashi was a first year and kept his head down, "I did. That was an impressive cross. You improved so much in three years."

Bokuto burrows his head into Akaashi's neck, his hair pressing against his throat, "I can't believe I'm a starter now."

Akaashi smiles at his knees. He squeezes Bokuto's hand, "Look, Bokuto-san."

Bokuto lifts his head up, hair tickling Akaashi. Outside in the distance by the water, Tempozan is dancing with white and yellow lights.

"MSBY colors."

"Thanks for visiting me, happy birthday," Bokuto hums, head returning to his shoulder. Akaashi watches the driver to make sure he's focusing on the road before pecking Bokuto's mouth softly.

> V) Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, Japan

" _I can't believe I have to go to Aichi today out of all days._ "

Akaashi attempts to hide behind a smile. Truthfully, his stomach is in knots, "Your second game happens to be an away game, you can't help it."

"Haha," Kuroo smugly grins at the screen, blowing a party roller into Akaashi's face as Konoha and Komi attempt to destroy each other at Smash behind them. "Have fun away in Hiroshima away from your boyfriend as I spend the entire day with him!"

" _Kuroo!—_ " Bokuto's jaw jumps as the screen starts shaking.

" _Is that Akaashi?_ " Meian's face appear, facing splitting into a grin when he spots Kuroo (who had visited Hirakata with Akaashi during winter break. Meian fell in love with him as well), " _And Kuroo! How are you two! Any plans on coming to Osaka these days? It's snow crab season, you have to come down here this time, no more using school as an excuse!_ "

" _Hey Captain, get off my!—_ "

Atsumu's forehead appears in the frame. His hair is pushed up by a headband, " _Captain, you're such a bad influence_."

" _Stop touching my hair with your dirty hands_ , _Miya_ ," Goes Sakusa, glaring as he shrinks away from the rowdy players all congregated near him. Kuroo starts laughing. Akaashi tries to push him away with pleas of _please respect my personal space, Kuroo-san_.

"Yo Captain!" Konoha abandons the game and zips right up to Akaashi's shoulder, grabbing the phone away from him. Komi climbs like a cat onto Konoha's back, Milo slinking around everyone's ankles as Akaashi sighs, "Long time no see! Did Akaashi tell you how obsessed he is with that The Suit Company picture you did for them?"

" _Konoha! Give the phone back to Keiji!_ "

"Is this how you treat your teammates after not seeing them for months? I'm shock. And hurt."

"Didya hear that, Bokuto?" Kuroo leers, "You hurt his feelings. Now we're never going to give Akaashi back his phone _._ "

Akaashi sighs again, elbowing Konoha strategically, swiping his phone and running up to his room. He locks the door, staring as Bokuto heads to the back of the moving bus after shaking most of his teammates off, settling on an empty seat.

" _I'm going to punch Kuroo next time I'm in Tokyo._ "

"Don't do that," Akaashi laughs, picking several cat hairs off his black pants as he sits on the floor, leaning against his bed, "Kuroo is all bark and no bite. You fall for his needling so many times even after all these years."

" _Forget that_ ," Bokuto grins. His hair isn't spiked up today, bangs droopy and brushing his eyebrows. In Akaashi's humble opinion, he looks younger with his hair down, less sharp, more like a boy, " _What's this I hear about you liking my picture?_ "

Akaashi feels his cheeks grow warm, watching Bokuto's grin stretch from ear to ear, "What."

" _Konoha said it earlier. I did an ad with The Suit Company, did you like my picture?_ "

"I support everything you do, Bokuto-san. The Gatsby sponsorship is also very good."

" _Aha!_ " Bokuto clucks, eyes narrowing, " _You only say Bokuto-san when you're embarrassed now, so you're definitely suspicious. It's okay Keiji, I know I look good in that picture, please, stare at it all you want._ "

Akaashi scoffs, pushing his glasses up, "I don't spend all my time staring at your picture."

"Aw. I do though. You're my background!" Bokuto laughs. There's a pause in which Akaashi is mentally screaming, "You're really red!"

Akaashi points his phone up, pressing a hand to his cheeks and listening to Bokuto flail about how he called to see his boyfriend's face, not to see his poster of the MSBY Black Jackals pinned to the ceiling.

" _Keiji! Keijiiiiiiiiiii!_ "

He takes a deep breath, propping his phone against a box nearby and setting Milo, who followed him inside, in front of it. Bokuto gives a confused noise.

" _Hi?_ "

"Bokuto-san—"

" _Oh, not this again. It took me four years to break your habit of calling me by my last name_ ," Bokuto mutters.

"Koutarou," Akaashi says, wiggling Milo's paws in front of the camera as Bokuto coos at the cat, "I'm planning to get a job at FKDN."

He could remember clearly the five year plan he handed to his homeroom teacher in third year. Enter university, graduate and get a job in Osaka to be closer to Bokuto-san.

He got into university fine, he completed his classes fine, he's going to graduate fine, but he spent the winter and spring of his third year job hunting until his third year ended to no results.

He didn't have the heart to tell Bokuto when he came home for Golden Week and Obon. And now the guilt is eating him alive.

Bokuto doesn't blink, " _That's a publishing company right?_ "

"Yes. I...I couldn't find anything in Osaka with literature," Akaashi swallows, setting Milo down. She starts cleaning her paws, "So I'm considering FKDN. They have an Osaka branch, so I know I can transfer there in the future but that means living in Tokyo for several more years."

Being together with someone for four years does something to you. Akaashi knows every little thing Bokuto likes and dislikes, his thoughts on living in Osaka, his favorite shows, exactly how much protein intake he needs per day during volleyball season, his favorite spikers in the National team and how many moles he has on his body.

It shouldn't surprise him when Bokuto can now mirror Akaashi's poker face, "Koutarou, say something."

Bokuto blinks, " _Sorry_ ," He says softly. He looks slightly down and Akaashi chastises himself for breaking the news right before a game, forgetting that they're en-route to a tournament, " _That's fine, get into the department you like. You've supported me throughout these years after all._ "

"Really?"

" _Keiji_ ," Bokuto clucks again like a mother hen, " _I'm never going to tell you to throw away something you want just because it doesn't fit with me. You have your own life to live, you're the protagonist. You can't be a side character forever, right?_ "

"Right," He breathes out shakily, "I thought...I thought you'd be disappointed."

Bokuto tilts the phone to show Akaashi a view of the country side the bus is going through. The fields are barren, several telephone poles flashing by, " _If it means being with you in the end then it's worth it. I don't mind waiting longer._ "

Akaashi blinks, throat swelling. Then he starts sniffling.

" _Wah, don't cry! Don't cry on your birthday, Kuroo's going to kill me and Auntie is going to be so disappointed!_ " Bokuto looks left and right as Meian's booming voice asks if Bokuto has made Akaashi upset, " _No Captain, I'm not making my boyfriend cry, I have it under control! Totally under control! Akaashi! Listen, listen, did you like your birthday present? Did it arrive on time?_ "

Akaashi nods, wiping his tears away roughly with the new # 12 MSBY sweater Komi ordered online for him, "The cuff links arrived, I'll wear them next week for my cousin's wedding. Thank you."

Bokuto gives him a sappy smile, " _What am I going to do with you when I propose? You're probably going to cry too_."

"I will, you might as well get it over with."

Bokuto's mouth drops, " _Akaashi. You want to marry me?_ "

"Of course I do, just not now though," He blows his nose, watching Milo knead his stomach as she leans up to sniff the tears on his chin that he missed.

" _DID I HEAR THE WORD 'MARRY'?_ " Atsumu's voice booms, shoving Bokuto out of the way as he stares at Akaashi. Milo hisses at the loud noise and runs under his bed, " _Akaashi! Did he just propose to you?!_ "

" _MARRY? WHO'S GETTING MARRIED?_ " Meian shouts, shooting into the screen next and squishing Bokuto further into the window, " _Did our Bokkun propose? To you?! Did you accept?!_ "

Akaashi becomes flustered, wiping his eyes away and lobbing the tissues into the little trash can by his desk as someone attempts to break down his bedroom door, "Um—"

" _Akaashi?_ " Inunaki enters the video, grinning, " _Congratulations on your engagement!_ "

Kuroo barrels in, still wearing his party hat. Akaashi stares, ignoring the three members of the Black Jackals trying to push each other out of the frame.

"How the hell did you unlock my door?!"

" _TEAM! Bokuto's an engaged man!_ " His phone blares.

Kuroo stares at his hand, aghast, "You're engaged?!"

" _Captain! Shut up!_ "

"Were you eavesdropping?!" He yells, kicking Kuroo's shin.

"OW! Only for the last few seconds! Your mom made me get you for the cake!" Kuroo curls up on the floor as Akaashi continues to deliver vengeance, "Milo-chan, help me!" 

Konoha's voice enters Akaashi's ear, "What's all the— Jesus, what did you ever do to get Akaashi to kick you?"

"Konoha! He's engaged!"

Konoha stares at Kuroo lying on the ground and the three MSBY members crushing Bokuto in Akaashi's hand. He grabs the phone, laughing, "About time, Bokuto! Congratulations!"

" _Thank you_ ," A wheezy voice gurgles as Meian yells at Sakusa to come to the back and give his blessings. " _Captain, you're crushing my lungs_."

"Are you going to be living apart for a while then?" Konoha asks Akaashi. Akaashi presses his eyes shut, snapping and pushing everyone out of his room.

"I'm sorry, but I'll join everyone downstairs later for cake, just give me five minutes to say goodbye to Bokuto-san."

Kuroo protests as Akaashi pushes against the fabric of his black dress shirt, "Kuroo-san stop grumbling! I'll get you ice later, you shouldn't be breaking into my room anyway," Akaashi slams his bedroom door shut and leans against it, sighing.

He looks at his phone. Bokuto seemed to be shooing Atsumu away with his leg, hair sticking up in irritation. He's moving out of the back of the bus and outside, his breath coming out in puffs.

"Sorry about that," They both say at the same time. Then Akaashi laughs as Bokuto grins.

"We can call later when you've finished the game," Akaashi says, cheeks still flushed. He fixes his glasses again, "I'll be streaming and watching. Yukie-san and Kaori-san are dropping by later for dinner."

" _Sounds good_. _Tell them the team said hi!_ _I'll see you later_."

"Good luck."

" _Don't need it_ ," Bokuto beams, eyes soft. Bokuto doesn't get red easily, but his cheeks are rosy. Akaashi itches to screenshot, " _I'm the luckiest person on earth right now._ "

Akaashi waves goodbye, putting his phone into his pocket and burying his face into Milo's fur and screaming. When he pulls away, she only gives him a soft mew. He takes a deep breath and picks her up, going silently down the stairs, wary.

Konoha, Kuroo and Komi are bent over the laptop they've plugged to the TV, fussing over the cables. Sarukui is shaking off his coat, smiling, "Hey, sorry I'm late."

"Don't mind," Akaashi evenly says as his mother slides into the room.

"Keiji!" She clucks, eyes teary. She has a MSBY #12 apron around her that she bought for herself, "You should have told me to prepare red bean rice!"

"Red bean rice?" Sakurui echoes, "What for Eiko-san?"

"Hah," Konoha giggles, Kuroo grinning from ear to ear next to him. In the corner, Kenma looks up from his perch on the couch and gives Kuroo a roll of his eyes, "Guess what, Saru? He's been engaged for exactly seven minutes!"

" _Engaged?!_ " Sarukui howls. Even Kenma seems shocked, blinking and abandoning his Switch to come to the hubbub as Akaashi's mother sniffs and goes off to find her coat. "Bokuto did it then?"

Akaashi whips his head around, momentarily losing track of his mother, "You knew?"

"Knew? Of course I knew! We _all_ knew he wanted to marry you the moment he graduated!" Sarukui groans, Komi nodding sagely. The doorbell rings. "Someone let Onaga in on the fun, he'll know what I mean. God Akaashi, we love you and think you're a great strategist but sometimes you just suck at seeing signs. It's like half the things Bokuto does sails over your head sometimes."

"It's my birthday," He sulks, "You're not suppose to badmouth me."

"What did I tell you Kenma, when you start dating someone you slowly become the other person," Komi sagely says, "Ugh! Invite me to the wedding okay? Whenever you guys decide it'll be."

Akaashi's mom presses a bag of ice into his hand, "Here, apologize to Kuroo, how many times has he helped you with your course work? Kuroo-chan, do you want anything from the store? I need to buy red beans anyway."

"You're too kind Auntie!" Kuroo smiles, still fiddling with the cables and Akaashi's laptop, "I'm fine thank you. Oh here's the man of the hour!"

They all turn, the image from the laptop finally projecting on the large screen. Akaashi's mom slips past them to the door, inviting Onaga in. Akaashi stares at him, hair freshly gelled and shedding his jersey as the team slowly warms up.

Bokuto twists his torso. His jersey rides out of his shorts as he walks onto the court next to Sakusa, a black compression shirt peeking out from underneath.

He sighs into Milo's fur as the camera darts to the rest of the Black Jackals lining up at the service line.

"Man," Konoha sighs, shaking his head. All of them are standing up, hushed as they watch their former captain practice serves, "That could be a service ace right there, I can't believe he's not off his game a little after proposing."

"He's the ace, what do you expect?" Akaashi coolly asks. Everyone _oooohs_ in tandem, jostling him and pulling him to the couch as they start passing around his birthday cake.

Akaashi spends his twenty-first birthday surrounded by his friends, eating cake and curling up on the couch as they watch MSBY seize another win. He grins widely at the screen, mimicking Bokuto's hands as he mouths ' _Bokuto Beam_ ', heart warm.

**Author's Note:**

> ngl, osaaka is fun to write
> 
> _awkward jazz hands_ please _spin_ wear facial coverings and _dashes forward into a split_ wash your hands!!


End file.
